History

In antiquity each of the Iron Islands was ruled by two petty kings, a rock king who ruled the land and a salt king who led the island's ships, who were chosen by the island's captains in a kingsmoot.[2] The prophet Galon Whitestaff eventually called all of the minor salt and rock kings and the captains to Nagga's Hill on Old Wyk, where Urras Greyiron was chosen as the first High King of the Iron Islands since the Grey King. When a high king died, his driftwood crown would be broken into the sea, and his successor, who was always chosen on Old Wyk, would craft his own crown of driftwood. These early rulers were thus also known as driftwood kings.[3]

The kingsmoot tradition ended thousands of years ago when King Urron Greyiron murdered the other candidates and made the throne hereditary. The choosing of salt and rock kings in local kingsmoots ended and they were instead reduced to lords. House Greyiron ruled the Iron Islands for a thousand years,[4] using the simpler title King of the Iron Islands and wearing an iron crown which passed from king to successor.[5] They were ultimately overthrown by rivals and Andal warlords during the Andal invasion, however.[4] They were then succeeded by House Hoare, who ruled until the War of Conquest save a brief period of domination by Lord Aubrey Crakehall and the Westerlands.[6]